Barcelona Stumble at Home: Real Madrid Close Title Gap with Thrilling Clásico Win
Spanish league leaders FC Barcelona have thrown away their perfect start to the season, losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in El Clásico
on Sunday night.
It was the first meeting of the two sides since the return of José Mourinho to Spain.
Barcelona went into the encounter six points ahead of third-place Real Madrid and were hoping to become the first team to win 10 consecutive games in the league’s history, while Madrid hoped to close the gap at the top.
Mourinho’s men came out with determined resolve, tackling hard and taking bold initiatives. Their efforts paid off in the 41st minute when a deflected clearance from defender Gerard Martín bounced off Kylian Mbappé and into the net.
Barcelona lacked their usual slick passing game, but they rallied in the second half to level the scores through Raphinha in the 61st minute.
The home side thereafter took control of large portions of the match. However, much like their midweek Champions League encounter in Paris, they lost their composure. A loose ball in the opposition half sparked a swift counter-attack, resulting in a second goal as Mbappé secured his brace.
The win pushes Madrid to 24 points from 10 games, just three points shy of leaders Barcelona, with Atlético Madrid sitting in second place on 25 points.
In other La Liga fixtures on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao thumped 10-man Getafe 4-0, Celta Vigo and Real Betis played out a goalless draw, while Real Sociedad beat Levante 2-1.
The victory provided just the perfect boost for Madrid’s title ambitions, breathing new life into the championship race.
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